The Endangered Kind
by Wicked R
Summary: Three vampires and a girl shut into an enclosed space for a long time. What are the odds of Elena surviving? Delena/Datherine.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Endangered Kind

Disclaimers: I don't own any supernatural powers or anything else to do with TVD. If I had, Delena would happen a lot more often!  
>Genre: Please be aware that this story's main genre is hurtcomfort and I'll be concentrating on that side of things even more than usual.

Rating: PG-15

Summary: Three vampires and a girl shut into an enclosed space for a long time. What are the odds of Elena surviving?

Set: 308ish

Pairing: Delena, Datherine, Dalaric friendship.

Prologue

"No! Mister Forbes! You're making a big mistake!" Elena cursed herself in her head for not carrying a crossbow at all times. The stakes she had in her jacket and bag were a lot less usuful when facing humans, "you don't understand things that are going on here in Mystic Falls," she tried to reason with him, knowing she's got little chance of convincing a council member of anything at the best of times, let alone four council members at the same time, "Damon's no threat to anyone," she gestured to the vampire's unconscious body at her feet, fallen a minute ago as Bill caught him unawares in the large lobby and living room area of the Salvatore hourse and fired a round of wooden vervain bullets at him, "and Stefan...Stefan's..." She tried to say something positive about the younger Salvatore, although she wasn't sure herself how many people Stefan had killed since him coming back to their small town. "What I'm trying to say Mr. Forbes, Mr. Fell, Toby," she named as many of the people surrounding them she knew by name for a more personal approach, "is that there are bigger dangers, bigger fish you could help us catch. More dangerous, older vampires that Damon and Stefan are protecting the town from and have been for a long while. Mr. Forbes, just ask your ex wife."

"Liz is part of the problem, we know that now," founder descendant Patrick Fell asserted while picking up Stefan's body with his son Toby.

That vampire at the other side of the room was certainly out of reach, but she could maybe still defend Damon, she protested by standing in front of him, aiming her stake at the approaching Bill and the other council member she did not know very well, "you'll have to kill me too then!"

"Lets not be overdramatic," Bill suggested with a charitable grin and nodded at his companion, who promptly raised his home customised dart gun. Elena wondered for a moment what a vervain shooter weapon could do to her, but she soon realised it was some sort of tranquilizer.

Tbc


	2. Tenstrike

Chapter 1: Ten-strike

Half conscious, Elena pressed her lips together to force herself awake on the cold stone floor. She was aware that she had been removed from Damon's favourite velvety feel carpet she had keeled over onto, she felt very uneasy and anxious to find out what had happened. The colour red was swirling in her mind forming shapes like petals and flames and inscriptions like a nightmare, no doubt resulting from a lifestyle that revolved around blood despite her not being a vampire, but she fought against the heaviness in her head keeping her down and blearily opened her eyes to find a similar half darkness around her than what held her mind. Elena blinked a couple of times somnolently clearing her vision, but the grey light remained. She froze at once however when everything came into focus, her breath catching in her throat. The brunette found she was looking straight into the somewhat troubled brown eyes of herself, or more likely her doppelgänger.

"Ah! She's quite all right," Katherine summarized her observations and looked backwards where Elena could now spot Stefan standing behind her and Damon still unconscious lying on his side further back.

"Where are we?" Elena scrambled to gather herself into a sitting position against the wall, still rather dazed and confused.

Stefan shrugged as if not caring much, "basement under the witches' house. How do you feel?" He came closer to squat beside her.

Elena frowned, then shook her head to get rid of the lingering heaviness in her head and tried to stand up. "What happened?"

"Bill thought I should have some company down here," Katherine provided, "cause I can't be a verified reconditioned vampire without bait," she nodded into the direction of a small camera in the corner of the ceiling.

"He's watching us?" Elena was ready to examine her surroundings in more detail. The space was quite big, but without much in the room at all apart from a few boxes and a tap. It was still light outside as she could see the shadows of the trees lengthening through the small window at the top, however, the window would hardly be wide enough to squeeze her arm through. "Creep. You know you could smash that camera no problem?" She looked from Stefan to Katherine and back uncomprehending. Why didn't they?

"Its for your own safety," Stefan asserted, "didn't you hear? You're the bait," he told her in a nonchalant voice.

Elena froze once more, dumbstruck to an extent Katherine felt the need to explain. She hoped once the sedative was out of the Elena's system, she will be up to her usual speed cause being this slow annoyed her. "I'm assuming he'd interrupt if we really tried to drain you completely, and abstaining would mean we could be considered successfully reconditioned. As you can see there's no food for us apart from you here, yet there's plenty of food for you," she opened one of the boxes to reveal a mixture of cans and packets from soups to fish and compote conserves.

The human stepped forward, but not in the direction of the containers. "Is Damon ok? Why's he not waking up?" She sat beside him, "did they vervain him too much?" Elena pulled at and examined his shirt for bulletmarks.

"I removed all of those Elena," Katherine assured her, "and I don't think he was shot with much more vervain than Stefan."

Elena leaned closer to Damon so she could see him more clearly in the semi darkness. It could've just been the light, or the lack of it, but she did not like the colour of him, "were the bullets causing a lot of damage?"

Stefan shook his head, "from the location, they couldn't have. Katherine says the bullets weren't that far in."

Elena sized up her two conversation partners. Seemingly they have been discussing the subject themselves earlier. Could they have been worried too? "Then what's wrong with him?"

Katherine gave an eye roll and scoffed, walking under the window and pretending not to be interested. She tried to shape the sides of her nails with her teeth, due to lack of scissors. "When was the last time Damon ate?" Stefan asked somewhat accusatory.

It reminded Elena of the time when the older brother told her that she must know animal blood is not good enough sustenance for Stefan. "I don't know, I haven't seen him having a blood bag in a few days at least..I wasn't really concentrating on that, I really don't know."

"You mean those cold, dead, defunct, disgusting, tasteless and useless things in plastic?" Katherine nipped from her corner.

Elena bit her lip. She'd never assumed blood bags would not be as beneficial for vampires as blood taken directly from the source, or more likely, was it she didn't want to think about that possibility? She turned to Stefan. "But..but..neither of you ever complained about the those before."

"It tastes like nothing as its dead, not like the horrid taste perception that comes from some animals, but in some ways, its worse," Stefan explained, "devoid, you know?"

"He's healed though," Elena established and smoothed Damon's shirt back down after having a peek under, "so when's he gonna wake up?"

"Damon would be in pain if he woke up right now, so just leave him Elena," Katherine said petulantly, still as far from them as was possible in the enclosed space.

"I'm fine," Damon mumbled, attempting to sit up.

Elena scrambled to help him seeing him wincing. She watched apprehensively as Damon leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes again. Her hand reached out to comfort him, smoothing his messy, curling locks out the way of his eyes, "why didn't you tell me blood bags were not good enough? You should've trusted me Damon."

"Could you all kids stop talking about food?" Katherine spat, turning her attention back to her fingernails, "I've been here longer than you."

Tbc


	3. Discipline

Chapter 2: Discipline

"Elena should have a corner of her own, barricaded by all these boxes," Damon stepped into the middle of the room, having gathered his energy some half an hour later, addressing Katherine under the window and Stefan sitting on the floor.

"And that should stop any of us from ripping her apart?" Katherine rolled her eyes.

"If it will help one percent, it will help," Damon started to move and stack the boxes in strategic positions. Stefan kicked one of them across the floor, aiding his efforts with just that one motion. The younger brother didn't really believe in the plan either.

Next thing Elena knew, she was deposited at the other side of the cordon, as far away from the other two as possible, "you stay here," Damon held her by the shoulders so he could look into her eyes and accentuate the meaning with intensity, "try not to move about much or sweat, your smell will carry less."

"My smell?" Elena repeated a little offended, although she knew what he meant.

Damon gave her a stern look, letting on that he didn't think this was a moment for not taking things seriously. "You should use that sink over there and regularly wash yourself down to get rid of the.."

"Smell, I know," Elena sulked irritably, "which one is it now, stay still or go to the sink?"

"Also sit low, refrain from sneezing, coughing, sighing deeply or whistling or any other activity that encouraged the air to travel in this direction," Damon continued, ignoring her protestations, then left her in her make shift, dubitable hide out to be stopped at the entrance, the gap in between the boxes, by Katherine, grabbing hold of his shirt, "I'm bored," she pouted.

"I suggest Strip or Dare," Stefan recommended, making Katherine take a sneaky took back at him, but not letting go of Damon. "We haven't played that in a while," she mused. Truth was, the three of them haven't played that together for over one and a half centuries. "You playing?" She drew her lips close to Damon's ears.

"I don't see why not," Damon pursed his lips, cocking his head to one side. Katherine's suggestion was for sure sounding better than brooding miserably and filled with worry, which was the other option. "I dare you first."

"Can't I join in?" Elena peered over the embankment cartons, seeing it as a chance to act how she preferred and stay being able to see and scrutinise the others and be part of the action, whatever little there was right now. And mostly, not do what she was told. But if she would've been really honest with herself and aware of her subconscious, she would've known that she wanted out of her designated area because she wanted to be close to Damon as she was worried about his wellbeing.

"Out of the question," Damon waved her off, not giving her request any more attention. He sat down with his legs crossed next to his brother, with Katherine closing the little circle they made on the floor.

Stefan was nodding at his ex girlfriend however, "can." But even ripper Stefan remained cautious with Elena Gilbert, "just stay at that side while doing it."

The girl gave Damon a mocking look, "what's the dares?"

The elder Salvatore rolled his eyes, "Stefan should take his ring off and put his hand under the light streaming through the window. Katherine, the same."

"Don't think so," Stefan got rid of his shirt promptly. Katherine followed his example, albeit a lot more slowly and enticingly.

"And I dare Elena to walk in Katherine's killer stilettos," Damon sort of agreed to the newcomer to the game by giving her a turn.

"Ha!" Katherine pouted, "making me take two items off with the same round?" She removed her ten inch shoes and threw them to the other side of the boxes, "I don't want those back Elena, they'll have your scent."

"What is it with everybody complaining about my smell?" Elena walked round holding on to the cardboard so the others could see her wearing the stiletto heels, "its my round right, cause I'm the only one who's done the dare. I'd like Katherine stand on one hand. You know cause I always wanted to know whether simply being a vampire makes you being able to do acrobatics." The older woman gave her an permitting nod and followed through, albeit only for a moment. "And I'd like Stefan and Damon to hug and kiss," Elena continued afterwards.

Stefan shrugged and scooted over to his brother, mockingly and halfheartedly doing what he was asked. It wasn't something Elena was looking for, but she decided not to object. She couldn't really expect real emotion from the ripper under the circumstances. "Katherine wins, you two didn't bother much," she declared.

The curly haired vampire grinned, "allright boys, my dare it is, you heard my little doppelgänger. You two, hug and kiss, the proper way." The answer was a unanimous no and the brothers removed their shoes together. "Elena. You need a lil' brighten up in general, don't you think? I sing, you dance," Katherine burst into a surprisingly very accurate version of Katy Perry's Last Friday Night. She didn't leave the moves to chance either, she was suggestive to Elena in showing the way, jumping and twirling on the floor in a manner that could only be described as teasing for the opposite sex.

Elena tested the sound and feel of Katherine's heels she was still wearing, then intrigued by the truly dazzling performance of her alterego that had nothing to do with being a vampire, she genuinely felt herself dared and challenged by the vision of beauty the older vampire was capable of. Initially, she had to consciously remind herself to time herself to the singing and clapping their music was made out of due to lack of proper equipment, but she soon found that she could enjoy and loose herself in it. The energy Katherine conveyed was catchy and it felt to her as getting rid of some of her nervousness regarding their whole being stuck situation. Not to mention the flattering she felt by the Salvatore's attention on her. She might be copying Katherine, but she could certainly throw in a few dance moves the antediluvian has never heard of, not supposing she would've ever watched Glee, Shake It Up or Hannah Montana. The women's dances started to diverge, but they were sensuous and coquettish and with an imaginary partner that both were sure was one of the brothers for both of them, but they could not figure out who the other one was thinking of.

The end of the dancing was met by a more or less derisory applause, whistles and hoots by Stefan, while Damon joined in less enthusiastically, but more genuinely. "That was uh ohhaish!" The younger Salvatore commented, "incredible! Just too hot to handle."

Katherine stepped forward swiftly and sharply, placing a foot in between Damon's legs as he sat on the floor, "hah! Stop overreacting! It was just a dance, ok?" She said with spite, leaving Elena a little confused. Katherine didn't like Damon's manhood emerging into noticeable existence at the previous teases, that was clear, but why. Half a thought process later and after replaying their dancing scene in her mind she realised. Katherine was jealous as Damon had been watching her, Elena, mostly. Whatever physical reaction he displayed, it was due to her moves.

Stefan gave a hearty laugh, as if not at all concerned that Damon got aroused by his ex girlfriend's dance, nor that Katherine, who had claimed to love the younger Salvatore above anybody else, got jealous over Damon's reaction. "Me next I believe. Elena," he beaconed her over, "I'm hungry."

At the mere hint of a threat, his brother sped over in front of the girl, "tell me your joking Stefan," he said sternly, looking over to Katherine for an ally.

"Its a dare, remember?" The Bulgarian shrugged. After the human's latest performance, she wasn't in the mood for favours. Damon's obsession with the girl's safety was starting to get on her nerves.

Elena looked down at her clothes. She knew it was ultimately her decision, at this point, Damon could not force her to do anything, while the other two would not out and out attack her, whatever she decided. "Would it not be advisable on the long term for all of you to drink a little from me now when you're still able to control yourselves? That way you could last longer."

"You wanna feed three vampires?" Katherine licked her lips, not averse to the idea.

"She does not know what she's talking about," Damon said forcefully, looking Elena in the eyes the whole time.

"Katherine first," Elena gulped, speaking tentatively. She would've so much wanted to offer herself to Damon foremost as he needed it the most, but she knew he'd refuse cause he couldn't be hypocritical and not let the other two feed then. And if she wanted to be honest with herself she had to admit that she was a little scared of Stefan as he was now. So Katherine seemed her best option.

The old one gave a little smirk to Damon, her curls springing up and down, then blurred in between her former lover and Elena. He was aware of the fact that there was no point to opposing, Katherine would be stronger, but he also trusted her as much as not killing Elena, if for nothing else than her being their only food source, and she could control her hunger magnificently, he knew that. As he'd expected, Katherine playing safe, she bit into the flesh of Elena's wrist, rather than the vein itself, sucking in a measured manner, not even vamping out completely. It was Stefan he had to watch, advancing behind him already, fangs at ready.

"Damon. Damon next," Elena breathed when Katherine released her after a short minute or so. The vampire slowly wiped her mouth and stepped out the way, round Damon to allow him access. It was his hesitation that sealed the ensuing situation, cause Stefan wouldn't wait around to be asked twice. Elena felt herself being pushed to the wall with her ex boyfriend inhaling deeply as he traced her shoulder with his nose before biting into it.

The girl whimpered, the bite was painful, but not something she couldn't cope with. It certainly wasn't her first time. Consciously trying to relax her muscles, she closed her eyes, waiting for the pain to subside after the initial shock to the system. Her mouth opened in a silent scream she had no intention to voice, but when Stefan tore at her with an near outright fevered pace, involuntary tears formed in her eyes and squeezed through her tight eyelids. She had to learn that this Stefan was absolutely no fan of gentleness.

The glint in the corner of her eyes was all Damon needed to snap into action. Rage burned through every fibre of his being as he grabbed Stefan's shoulders from behind. "No more!" He pulled at his protesting brother, at the same time afraid that if he does so, the fangs inside the flesh of her shoulder will rip more if torn away, "NO MORE!" He tried with words at first, not sure of how this will go down. Stefan just fed, he was obviously stronger.

Elena wanted to say something to her to be benefactor, mention that she was okay with the pain and blood, well, a lot more okay with a potential fight between the brothers as that never ended very well. Besides, she was trusting Stefan, right? If his love for her got wiped out by Klaus, she wouldn't believe it, but even if it was, he was supposed to be compelled to protect her. So it was all fine, it had to be. Only she couldn't speak, her eyesight hazy, her mind dizzy. But Stefan was going to stop soon, she was sure of that, she kept telling herself.

Then all of a sudden, the fangs were gone indeed, leaving the pain and the blood oozing down her front. Quite surprised to be falling to the floor, she inhaled deeply to get a grip on herself, but could only watch in an airheaded state as the brothers blurred into one, tangled into each other on the ground, rolling, both having their hands around each other's throats. With superhuman speed and strength, they were both slamming the other's head into the concrete in turn, so quickly that Elena had trouble telling one apart from his brother till one moment where the floor cracked below someone's head with a sickening thud.

The scene was paused into visible to the human eyes as Stefan sat snarling over Damon with his grip still tight and squeezing around his older brother's throat. Notwithstanding the blood that pooled under his head however, Damon drew a fist back and punched Stefan in the face, with the force of the blow flinging him across to the wall, where he slid down into a pile of tangled limbs. While the younger Salvator was stunned from the impact and had to shake his head to clear the fog, Damon had more extensive damage to deal with though.

Elena could see blood pouring from his nose and ears, hair also matted with blood at the back. "Damon," speaking the one single word that her shallow breaths allowed, she whispered his name over and over again barely audibly.

Stefan stood and shot her a dirty, self assured look before launching himself at Damon again. Elena tried to stand, talk, shake Katherine into caring, do something to break those boys apart. But lifting her head off the ground was a bad choice. Can't, can't lose consciousness, she psyched herself for the second time that day, with equally ineffective consequences. The blood loss taking its toll and perhaps the sedative drugs still in her system, she slipped towards unconsciousness.

Tbc


	4. Upkeep

Chapter 3: Upkeep

"Ughh," Elena awoke with the involuntary groggy sound, but became self conscious and alert quickly. She found noone around in her close proximity this time and was a little surprised to find herself in her makeshift den Damon had insisted on earlier. She tested her strength by raising herself on all fours and was quite stupefied to find that she didn't feel weak or sore, prompting her to inspect her shoulder. Astonishingly, her skin looked completely smooth and healthy. Somebody had healed her. Of course it would only take a few drops of vampire blood, but it puzzled her nevertheless. Who had done it? Did Katherine artfully hide all her life that she cared or did Stefan follow through Klaus' orders of protecting her? Stealthily, she drew herself closer to her entranceway and peeked out.

Not fooled by her furtiveness, Katherine gave her a knowing look, but turned her attention back quickly to the figure in her lap. Damon's head was on her thighs and her arms held his upper body, drawing soothing or absent minded circles on his back. Elena took a fleeting glance in Stefan's direction, occupying what previously had been Katherine's eluding corner, seemingly in his own world, unresponsive and idle, then slowly made her way over to the other two prisoners, solely driven by her need to be by Damon's side. "How is he?" She asked the other woman.

"Beaten and starving, what do you think?"

"Will he be able to heal without..nourisment," she avoided the word blood in case that provoked the hungry vampires.

"Its not his injuries I'm worried about," Katherine's rubbing palm moved from his back to his side and drew circles on his stomach now, making Elena think she was not random or absent-minded at all. "Sooner or later and with some discomfort, we'll all just mummify and how unpleasant that may be for me and Stefan, it would not be the end of the world."

"For you and Stefan.." Elena inquired, not missing the little detail that Katherine didn't mention the other Salvatore. "What's going to happen to Damon?"

"A lot more unpleasant for him as he didn't drink straight from a human for a long time," the vampire gave in a tone that confused Elena. It could've been anything in between felicitous, compassionate or pitying. "He's already got really bad cramps."

"Don't listen to her, Elena," the girl heard Damon's weak voice, laced with pain and the effort it took him to angle himself towards her so he can see her. He had to act as close to normal as he could, regardless of how far he actually was from being like himself, because he did not want Elena exposing herself again. If anyone knew how dangerous that was in the proximity of jack the ripper, it was him. "Katherine likes to exaggerate and distort the truth."

"Let me help you," Elena uttered the exact words he was afraid of, "if you just drink a little, it should ease the pain some, shouldn't it?" She reached out to him, touching his arm compassionately and not missing the fact that no matter how much he refused help, he did not make any attempt to stop Katherine massaging his stomach. Her arm brushed to the doppelgänger's in their actions and the Bulgarian hissed like a tiger, pushing her face closer to hers, pulling Damon's frail body back at the same time, like an animal defending her prey. The behaviour perplexed Elena and she drew back a little, "why?"

"I do have my own code of morals, Elena. And while you were out I promised Damon that I would not let you offer yourself up for a carnage."

"But you love him Katherine, you said so yourself, how is it you can stand watching him suffer?"

"I'm not," the mediaeval vampire spat, turning him a bit more onto his back from his side so that she could reach and cover his whole stomach with her rubbing hands. "I'm going to make him happy by keeping you alive, little fussy missy. Someone's worried about your welfare. I have a weakness for true love and all that," she grimaced making it obvious that she didn't like Damon's new state of being obsessed with someone else other than her for a change, despite of having complained about his fixation before, "and I prefer love stories to go on for centuries, not end."

Damon reached for Elena's hand, all the while gazing soulfully into her eyes. Entangling his fingers into hers, he pulled her a little closer, "just trust me Elena. It'll all be okay if you go back to your cubbyhole. You need to let us all mummify and then maybe Bill will consider us having passed the test and let us all out," he gave her a weak, encouraging smile to accentuate his words. "You are aware of the fact that its the correct thing under the circumstances, I'm sure."

Elena felt her face muscles responding to his smile with a sympathetic one of her own. They sat quietly, hunted pairs of eyes seeking solace in each others', their hands tightening together without realising. Their bind was an anchor of security giving them strength for what was to come.

"Please Elena," Damon urged her at long last, "if you want a future for any of us, you're going to have to keep yourself out of danger."

The human stirred out of her fixation on Damon's face and glanced in his brother's direction. There was no indication that Stefan had heard them or that he was present in spirit. While she still inclined to give him a chance as every single person deserved, she couldn't quite manage to convince herself to trust him anymore. Bill did not understand vampires for sure, but if she came out of this alive, his opinion might change. She bit her lip, knowing that Damon was right.

Tbc


	5. Al Dente

Chapter 4: Al dente

Elena squeezed her eyes shut. She wanted to stick her fingers into her ears too, blocking out every sense, but she couldn't quite find it in herself to do it. No matter how much she tried not to listen to Damon's moans, the sound of his trashing on the floor and Katherine's soothing words, she knew she could not keep herself away forever. Almost literally fighting with herself as she crawled out her designated area slowly once more, she was met by the older vampire's feisty eyes again.

"You're going to waste all the effort at the last moment," Katherine complained, but made no attempt to stop her. Elena could tell that after five more days of starving, it wasn't as much about her still holding onto comforting Damon, but she looked and must've been pretty weak as well. "Are you sure you want to come out when we're all most hungry?"

"I can't stand him suffering anymore. I thought he would go unconscious a lot more and a lot sooner."

"Not long now," Katherine growled irritated, or as annoyed as her whispering, weakened voice was capable of. Elena frowned, not convinced. Damon was lying with his eyes shut, but clearly half conscious sometimes at least, curled up on himself and would not even let Katherine touch his stomach now. The older vampire was relying on rubbing his back instead. "Just make sure the Forbes guy's out of my sight when we get out of here?" She pursed her dry lips together in anger.

"But I know the solution. Just turn me. It'd solve everything. I get to live, you get blood and Bill Forbes would let us out of here once I'm in transition. I doubt he would let me die."

"You want to be a vampire? The girl who shamelessly changes the laws of nature and magic both to stupidly remain human?" Katherine spat exasperated. One thing was certain, her doppelgänger was annoying.

Elena sighed and looked her in the eyes sadly, "I would do it for him."

Katherine nodded at her thoughtfully. She would not let her respect for the girl show, she herself sometimes wished she could be as willing to sacrifice everything for love like her younger doppelgänger or the Salvatores. "I should hope I have enough blood left for that, but you might have to suck it out," she bit into her palm and offered it to Elena, "something like a gulpful in total should be enough."

"No," Stefan crouched closer, startling the women. Elena grabbed hold of Katherine's hand, intent on going through with her plan before anything could stop her so the three of them could drink her dry after. "No, listen," Stefan tilted his head upwards and Katherine concentrated too, "someone's coming," she concluded and by then even Elena could hear the footsteps.

"Could be that Forbes didn't like your little plan," he indicated the camera and stood, gathering his remaining strength for a possible fight.

The door opened and Alaric stepped in, his eyes searching them concerned, "are you guys okay?" As he came prepared, he threw blood bags in Stefan and Katherine's direction, "Forbes' out of commission for the moment," he let them know he was their saviour, then knelt down next to Damon to lift his mouth to another bloodbag. Elena hurried to help him, but it proved to be difficult to get the vampire to relax his muscles enough to get him into the right position, let alone force his lips to part enough for the tube to fit through. Alaric froze at the whimper escaping his friend and looked at the others for some explanation.

"Leave him alone," Katherine reacted to his ex lover's distress as well, but didn't approach. Damon was now surrounded by those important to him in this particular lifetime and she didn't feel comfortable to meddle anymore.

"We need to get him home," Stefan finished his bloodbag at the same time as Katherine and reached to gather his brother into his arms.

"I've got him," Alaric assured him, already lifting the frail body up with Elena's help. The two humans found his weight incredibly easy to handle, sending a sense of alarm through everyone present. In the end, the teacher took to carrying Damon up the stairs all by himself, however Elena remained attached to the concept of keeping hold of Damon's hand the whole time.

"I'll drive then," Stefan succumbed to his fate determined by his state of untrusted and out of control vampire and Katherine flung herself into the passenger space next to him, leaving the back seat to Damon and those who were holding him.

"He needs blood so badly," Elena fretted, "his body's shut down." She urged Alaric to try forcefeeding again. Taking the blood bag from Alaric, she held it to Damon's lips while the vampire hunter used a stake to get the clenched teeth apart. Elena managed to get a few millilitres of the life giving liquid through there, but they soon realised they also had to rub his throat to make him swallow. Nothing seemed to happen for a while all the time as Katherine shot doubtful, but decidedly concerned looks at them from the front. The struggle to make Damon drink continued for another few forceful attempts, but his resistance lessened noticeably with each try till one of his hands uncurled from his rigid stomach he still held and took the pouch himself, swallowing compliantly.

Alaric was ripping another bag open for him when Damon's hand went suddenly back to his belly, blood disregarded. Elena reached out, intending to soothe his cramps as she had seen from Katherine previously, but she could only held him as he was violently sick, whimpers drowned in a warm pool of blood, getting rid of all the blood that his friends had previously managed to pump into him and some more. And under it all, when Elena wiped his mouth clean his lips remained bloodlessly pale.

Alaric looked up aghast, uncomprehending, but he did not dare to urge his dry heaving, trembling, miserable friend of his to drink anymore, "could somebody tell me what's happening?" He had seen Damon so drunk before that even his vampire constitution could only cope with the amount of alcohol consumed by getting rid of it the quick way and that experience even sobered Alaric up pretty quickly, but the current situation was clearly alarming. But to Elena he looked in vain for an explanation, she was almost crying from worry and powerlessness.

"I know what to do," Katherine threw back at them over her shoulder, so on the remaining way home to the Salvatore mansion they had to make do with that promise and Elena keeping a hold of Damon's hand still, but when on arrival Katherine moved to fetch the vampire descending from her bloodline, she unwillingly, but sensibly let go. By the time her and Alaric reached Damon's bedroom, the stricken man was laid out on his bed, with his bespattered clothes removed and his upper body washed. Katherine pulled the covers up to his waist and turned to the humans entering. "Blood bags won't do him any good. He's way past that. He.."

"..needs the real thing," Elena finished the sentence for her, ready for the second time in under half an hour to offer her blood to help him. She looked around for some sharp object to slash her wrist with and found Ric's knife in her field of vision, only it was already it use.

Alaric nodded at her encouragingly, there was no reason why she should be alarmed by him letting his own blood pour into a bourbon glass and fill it. So all her task was now to bandage her teacher's hand as Katherine took the blood over to Damon. "Will that be enough?" Alaric enquired.

"No, it will never be enough, you can't keep him on frozen dinners," Katherine let loose again, never passing up the opportunity to blame Elena for Damon's diet, "but for immediate needs, yes, I think it'll probably be enough. She very gently pulled him into a half seated, half reclining position, "you need to drink this, come on now Damon," she said softly, caringly, with an expression Elena didn't know her lookalike was capable of. Katherine held him with one hand with her body's support, the glass with the other, placing the contained of warm liquid to the younger vampire's lips.

Elena wasn't sure Damon was conscious, but she did notice that he flinched at the touch, presumably still in pain. But he did not fight the hands that manoeuvred him around and the glass rim that touched his mouth. He drank weakly, willingly as his body tool control and acquired what he really needed, his eyes remaining closed the whole time.

Katherine let him relax back onto the pillows when he was finished, handling him just as gently as he had before. "Just rest, Damon." Elena watched biting the inside of her lips. While it was very beneficial for the younger vampire, just like in their cellar, jealousy made it hard for her to see the doppelgänger being so affectionate.

He swallowed gratefully, then he remembered. "Elena?" The name was on his lips the first time he was alert enough, anxiety for the girl's welfare evident in his voice.

It was Katherine's turn to frown in jealousy, but she knew it was better this way. Apart from short relationships, she has been a loner throughout the centuries and she had to be. Anybody around her was always in danger, either from Klaus or herself. "Damon's all yours," she disappeared as she always did.

Tbc


	6. Liberated

Chapter 5: Liberated

Damon ambled down the stairs slowly, testing his strength, to be met by the sympathetic faces of Ric and Elena. "How are you feeling?" She watched him still obviously perturbed.

"I'm fine," he assured her and seeing her dubious look he rearranged the furniture in a whirlwind as proof by organising armchairs and sofas to form geometric shapes and tidying up all the books and stray bottles while he was at it.

Elena dropped the decorative pillow she had been holding into place, "I was just about to do that.." She frowned, "should you be exerting yourself?" She couldn't help feeling overprotective after what she had to witness over the last few days.

"Elena, I'm ok," he stepped over to her so that he could reassure her with his touch and found that the speeding about had indeed made him a bit lightheaded and stagger.

"I've got you," he found himself in Alaric's arms, who guided him to the now perfectly positioned couch, with Elena sitting down next to Damon at the other side.

"You should've trusted me enough to tell me you needed real blood to function," she found the first opportunity to admonish him for his omission.

"So you're saying you would've not only believed me, but would've receptively agreed to me munching on the locals?" Damon rolled his eyes sardonically.

"I've let Stefan drink me, didn't I?"

"Yes, for his reconditioning. But one person cannot reproduce enough blood in time for adequate amounts of sustenance. Not that I would've let you try."

"How about two?" Alaric fingered his bandaged hand.

"Come on Damon, we need to figure out how to keep you healthy," Elena's hand went to his stomach with an inner shudder. He had been trying so hard to be like how she had wanted him to be, but Katherine was right. Elena had been squeezing her eyes shut to his real needs, not realising how much his alcohol consumption had to do with him substituting liquids. That will never happen again. "How long has your stomach been bothering you?"

Damon shrugged, "Andie kept it at bay somewhat.."

"Tell me the truth. How much fresh blood would suffice for you daily not to have stomach cramps? At all?"

"At all, well, that would be aiming a bit high, wouldn't it?"

Alaric rolled his eyes and Elena shook her head vehemently, "I didn't realise how high my expectations were for a vampire. If you need it, there must be a way of you getting it in a nonviolent manner."

"Look, I can take care of myself. Compel random people, maybe out of town, half a pint a day maybe?"

His friend pulled a face, "okay. The less I know about that, the better," he stood to go, "make sure you don't mention it much to me and we'll all be fine."

"What are you doing?" Elena grabbed Damon's arm as he rose to his feet and pulled him back down onto the couch, "no alcohol for you today, you need your strength back first."

"I wasn't going for a drink," Damon rolled his eyes at her, "but now that I have your explicit permission, I'm gonna go find some lewd cheerleader or calendar girl. I hear there's a beauty pageant over at Bass Church's Town Hall..ouch!" He was silenced by Elena punching him in the arm, "what? Jealous?"

"Is that what you'd really do? Find someone well known and popular like that, as opposed to doing it in a concealed manner?"

"I like the fun it involves," Damon teased her half jokingly. There was a time that would've been him all right, but there was a list of a certain small list of people in his life now who mattered to him too much to endanger, upset or expose them.

Elena frowned, looking at him intently to gauge his intents and finally decided based on his little self-assured smirk that the tease deserved another punch. "Not today Damon, not when you're still weakened. Today you drink from me," she pulled closer to him, both hands holding his. Elena had been trying to help him for days and for one reason or another, she had always failed to give him what he needed, so the young woman would not back away now.

"You really mean that, don't you?" Damon held her gaze, spellbound by her care and concern for him. It wasn't something he was used to.

"I want to feed you," Elena affirmed with an honesty, straightforwardness and want as if she would've said I wanna make love to you. She wasn't sure what else to do to encourage and convince him, so she raised a hand to his cheek with a sad smile, thumb tracing his lips and sliding gently under, probing for the tooth that would turn into fangs.

He had no intention to bite her yet, not like this. His tongue touched her skin as if tasting and his front teeth closed gently over her thumb and let go. His tongue lapped at it once more, then took it deep into the warmth of his mouth. Damon seemed to have lavished that little part of her with such attention it made her wonder what he could do to the whole of her body, the feeling was so sensual. Sucking and licking, he was milking her thumb, index finger and middle and he had just about started on the next one when she rose from the sensations and glanced up from his mouth to meet his eyes, "you were supposed to be taking blood, not just licking." Elena bit her lip, she was sure her desire was evident in her deep dark eyes. She should've never looked up, his awareness of her feelings manifesting in his knowing, yet soft and placating smirk. His arrogance and her arousal, it was all too much.

There were no objections from her when he leant forward for a light kiss on her cheek, followed up by one to her jawline, then traced her neck with kisses, working his way down to her collarbone. The light touch and his breath on the sensitive skin caused her to shiver and her heart sped up. Fighting against the paralysis she found herself in that kept her to the spot with no more movement than leaning into his touch, she searched for her voice with trembling lips, "when are you going to bite me already?" It sounded almost like a plea for freedom from his sensual torture.

"Your wish is my command." His words blew cold air on her flushed skin and then she felt vampire teeth extend against her neck. Unpleasant memories surfaced, but only for a moment.

Damon took a moment to savour the elusive bouquet of her blood, the lifegiving liquid filling his mouth, quenching his hunger, but despite knowing that he would never be able to get enough of this woman, or alternatively, because of that, he made a conscious effort to concentrate on her experience of the moment instead and the way he could improve it. Compassionate hands stroked her back and touched some spots between her legs she did not know existed. His tongue licked the delicate skin around the wound, setting off shocks down her spine, tendrils of pleasure burning through her body.

Elena muttered something and despite his special hearing ability, he could not figure out what it was, but afraid she was objecting, he was ready to pull back till he figured she was just wanting to put her hands between them, pulling at the buttons of his shirt as sensations evoked by the tenderest of fangs ever imaginable flooded into her.

A little surprised at the reaction beyond his expectations, Damon could still get rid of the garment with vampire speed, thinking how his flashing his body several times over the last year in front of her have paid off with her wanting to see him naked again. Her fingers ran from his raven hair to the hills of his chest and stomach while she pulled a leg up to mount him so she could press against him harder.

"What did you say?" Damon finally found the time and ability to ask.

"You're mine," Elena whispered, as if just hit by the realisation.

Damon raised his brow, but didn't answer. Denying would be lying, agreeing tempting a Katherinelike fate. Could he really believe she wanted him? His senses told him yes. The dark vampire was surprised to find that he could smell her arousal in the air, hear the blood in her arteries beginning to thud harder despite the loss in volume, her heart pitterpattering wildly. Matching her ebullience, when he lowered down his sharp teeth onto her shoulder again with a growl, it spoke of a hunger that had nothing to do with sustenance.

The slow, exploring tongue vibrated indescribably intense and resplendent sensations through her, it felt like being tasted with the expertise of a fine wine connoisseur, savoured with the intent of treasuring every drop. It woke a primal instinct in her, originating from somewhere down the Petrova bloodline, that she was sure came from the dark side. The slight discomfort of his fangs grazing her skin made her feel alive, the whole experience evoking an animalistic craving within her. She wanted the feeling to go on, she wanted it, she wanted him, more of him. Pressed hard against the smooth muscles of his torso, she felt an urge to rip his clothes off, it was so intense like nothing she had ever felt before. How was this possible, how was it possible that a single, however skillful lick of his sent a jolt of pure pleasure through her system?

The realisation hit her, it wasn't what he was doing, but rather who it was that was doing it. A fog settled on the outside world. Elena could not think of anything else other than how much she craved him, a feeling so singular and consuming she did not understand it. There was a need for something she wasn't getting. Closing up the inch that was between her mouth and his neck, she instinctively bit into him as hard as she could, unable to refuse the calling. Even so, her fangless, relatively blunt teeth could not draw much blood.

Drawing back, she gave a shuddered gasp in alarm at her own actions, holding onto his muscly arms for support. The taste wasn't unpleasant, like she remembered it, but this time, no fear mingled with the blood, it made her feel alive instead. It was as if magic had flown through her.

Just as startled as Elena, Damon searched her eyes frantically for answers with a faltering expression, "what are you doing?" He questioned in a whisper. He so wanted her desire to be sincere and heartfelt that he felt weak and unashamed at his own helplessness driven by purehearted love.

Her gaze had a pleading aspect that confused him even more, her lusty laugh evermore. "I don't know what I was so afraid of before having vampire blood in my system. Eternity scared me I guess, but I'm not afraid anymore. Not with you by my side."

Damon looked away a little unsure still, "when we were locked up, I heard something. I heard Katherine asking you if you wanted to become a vampire."

Elena blushed slightly, but reached out to touch his cheek lovingly, "then you must've heard my answer too."

"I did but..." He whispered, not willing to believe it for it being too good to be true, "I'm not sure what was reality and what was dreaming. I was in and out of consciousness."

The girl fingered the tiny hairs on his naked chest instead of answering, in admiration of his beauty. She wasn't ready to declare her undying love, not just yet. She got hold of her top and lifted her arms to slip it off, eyes pleading for mercy. "Just kiss me Damon. I'm yours, for tonight. Lets leave forever for another day," she slid her hands round his shoulders to wrap them around his neck.

Damon needed no more encouragement to lean towards her with a soft smile and seal his mouth against hers, hypnotised by the perfectness of the moment. He was intending to display his unadulterated love for her in that kiss, gentle and comforting and sensitive to her needs, but her current needs were nothing like he imagined. So as soon as their lips met, the spark of passion flickering in both of them ignited into a fire together, a dangerous, compelling flame of need, desire, excitement and want. Anything but gentle, their tongues twisted together, pulling each other fiercely deeper in as if they would've wanted to devour one another, their blood staining their lips mixing together.

Entangled in each other, they both knew one kiss would never be enough. Straining to feel some satisfaction instead of the immense desire engulfing her, Elena started to shake her head before pulling back to speak, "I don't want you to hold back. I want you to make love to me like you would with a vampire. I'd like to know what I'm missing out on as a human."

The taste of her desire still on his tongue, Damon frowned, perplexed, "I'm not sure that's a good idea.."

"What could happen to me? I have vampire blood in my system right now, wouldn't I heal instantly?"

Damon bit one side of his lip, hesitant, "take some more, just in case," he bit into his own shoulder this time, making way for a more suitable amount of blood to flow out for the purpose than she could ever bite out of him.

Elena stared at it for a little while, it has been a bit different biting into him driven by sexual desire as opposed to purposefully drinking his blood. But the wound already started closing, so she latched onto it quickly, deliberately swallowing a couple of times rather than just having a little vampire blood in her mouth like all the other times. The thought and taste of blood was still unpleasant to her and she kept halting, but as soon as he cradled her in his arms and stroked her ear featherlightly with the side of his cheek she relaxed. Then Damon tilted his head and lowered his lips to catch hers once more, indicating to her that what she'd ingested was enough.

This time, the kiss was soft to start with, teasing, intoxicating, so magical that it made her moan in its delight. That being with someone could be so perfect, she never expected. Damon pulled at the bottom lip of the girl completely lost in passion and manoeuvred himself down into a vertical position with her on top gently yet without breaking the deepening kiss. He caressed her hair lightly, her neck, her shoulders and arms, astounded she let him take her into his arms. They were both eloping into a world of pleasure of the moment, somewhere where pain, hardship, negative emotions and enemies could not reach them. Damon cherished the occasion for one more minute before he drew back, his conscience getting the better of him. He took her face between his hands, eyes looked with hers. "I love you Elena," he told her firmly, emphasizing every word with his emotions.

Elena blinked uneasy, taken out a perfect dream. What did Damon want? For her to say the words? And what if she wasn't quite ready. Lips parted, she held her breath, tears starting to prickle her eyes as she shook her head, "Damon, don't.."

"Sssh," the vampire silenced her with a finger on her lips, "I know, I know, don't say a word. I love you and because I love you, I wouldn't want you to do things you might regret. Passion and lust could lead to one thing after another and I just wanted you to know that I'd never want you to do the slightest thing you don't feel comfortable doing."

The girl stared at him with wide eyes. Why did she have the impression Damon was sometimes still stuck in the nineteenth century in some of the ways he behaved. A smile broadened on her face as she fingered his long locks of hair, also reminiscent of past centuries, "shut up. Just make love to me." You would never think Damon would hesitate so much, it almost made her laugh out loud. "I'm yours, so take me." She added as conciliation for not quite being to able to say she loved him, not because it wasn't true, but because the force of the emotion scared her.

Damon searched her face for another while, hardly believing his luck, then turned his lips into a lewd smile, more comfortable when playing a role rather than being the insecure himself. Eating her up with his eyes at first, he bowed his head to her shoulder again, not as much to lick the still seeping blood, but to kiss a light trail down towards the valley between her warm breasts.

Elena took to unbuckling and unzipping his pants and was a little thrown to find he had no underwear on. His cock popped straight out and up and she jumped, openmouthed. Damon had to laugh at her reaction, "isn't that what you wanted?"

The young woman could only nod, marvelling at the beautiful body under her. It had been one of her deepest desires to see this only part of him she never had the chance to. She noted the size and shape of his penis with uttermost interest and found herself joyously anticipating how it would look like when it was completely and fully erect. At the moment only the tip of his cock was peeking out the foreskin, shiny and straining out for more freedom. Her hand felt drawn to it, she touched and wrapped her fingers round it without thinking. It gave her an interesting sensation, unusual, yet so fitting and natural. The way the coolish skin slid under her fingers into her fist, it was like a lock and the corresponding key. Elena couldn't believe how beautiful it was, not necessarily longer, but thicker than what she'd expect.

Her fingers had their own life as she pondered on the sight, they were automatically running up and down his shaft softly even though it was something she had never done before to anyone. Damon hissed, his penis standing taller and tauter, slick and dripping with little drops of precum beading at the tip. The visual fevered her, she felt a need to bend over and lick it off. This member was perfect like nothing else she could imagine and she was in love with it.

"Elena.." Shaking his head incredulous, Damon pulled her up to look into her eyes again. So many compelled and uncompelled women who would serve him and his body without a second thought over his one and a half centuries and the love of his life could not be just one of many. He would not let her service him, their union had to be more meaningful. "No Elena...you don't need to do that."

The Gilbert girl looked at him uncomprehending, "why?"

"Because I love you. I don't want you to do anything you might think of later as something you have unpleasant memories of."

"Why would I have unpleasant memories?" Elena took his cheeks into her hands. How could a man with such a perfect member, a body that anybody could envy, eyes that shimmered with countless of colours depending on light, rippling muscles and shiny black hair, not to mention noble manners and a big heart have so little self confidence all the while as knowing with utter certainly how gorgeous he looked and using it to his advantage when the occasion arose? She had tamed this wildness of a vampire, she would make him happy too. With tender caresses of his face, shoulders and chest, she revelled in his blue eyes a little more before her instincts got the better of her once more, "I want you inside me. Right now," she pleaded, pushing down her own trousers with her mouth half open and anticipating pleasure. Elena brought her legs back to where they were, spread round him, where his penis had been pressing at her thighs previously without any conscious effort from his part.

He was brushing his thumbs over her nipples instead, lightly, agonisingly slow, engrossed in watching them erect. The way her breasts moved up and down when she was breathing, it was noticeably different than with his vampire lovers. So perfectly human and beautiful. And to imagine that she declared herself his..

"Damon," Elena lifted his chin to catch his attention, "now?" She asked, even though his member had already answered yes. She was sure Damon would be a wanton master at foreplay, but she didn't want any of that now. The need to have him inside her was too overwhelming.

The vampire smiled at her and nodded, although his touch remained gentle as he grabbed her buttocks to align themselves into the right position. The lover in him would never just take anyone even if his urge he was giving into matched hers. He stroked her cheek, watching her reaction at every inch as he slid into her slowly, then pulled her close for another tender kiss.

Elena understood she had to hold back, take his lead, his pace not to break the dream-like spell they were under. She let out a small whimper in desperate vexation, the only protest she allowed herself, but it was enough to worry Damon, to let him know there was a dissonance between them, "I want to make love to you, not just have sex," he murmured against her lips quietly, "besides, not many women could fit my length all at once," he added in cocky style.

"You feel amazing," Elena gasped. The young woman was wet and wide enough in her arousal, yet able to appreciate what he was implying. If she wasn't wanting him so much, this could've been painful.

He continued to enter her slowly all the same, pulling out and pushing a bit deeper every time, moving his hips up and building up a rhythm, never really distancing his lips more than half an inch away from hers in a tantalising dance of tongues and tickling breaths. His swift moves within her warm and welcoming pussy were not completely repetitive either. Damon thrust into her angling himself at different parts of her walls something like one millimetre at a time. He was looking for something, more and more frantically trying to find that little something before he completely lost himself in her and cummed. Biting his own bottom lip to keep his control, Damon thankfully heard her gasp and when she started trembling violently with moans of gratified arousal, the vampire knew he had found what he was looking for. Her legs were tightening around him, fingers clinging tightly and somewhat painful to his shoulders, her insides convulsing. Not giving him anymore consideration, she rode her own rhythm now, making him unable to hold himself back any more. Their lips crashed greedily the same way as their hips in ascending crescendo, they groaned together feeling as if they've died and gone to heaven. As his orgasm slowed down, he kept going in and out of her slowly, with an involuntary twitch of his softening penis every now and then, angled at the right spot still. Elena remained speechless in appreciation of the sensations going on inside her, but that didn't stop her from pushing her tongue deep inside his mouth in what became a lither dance of tongues while his erection subsided.

The girl took a momentary rest before looking up into his eyes, an unparalleled bliss that startled Damon reflecting in her gaze, "what?" He whispered, fascinated.

"I'm yours, Damon. I'm yours," she repeated breathlessly, showering his chest with kisses. When she at last has succumbed to her exhaustion and found a comfortable place digging herself a cosy lying place in the vampire's shoulders she frowned, running a finger over his shoulder where she had previously bit him, but where his skin was now smooth and spotless, licked clean. "I can't believe I've done that."

"Why did you do it?" He tensed, knowing his entire future could depend on the next few words.

Elena fingered his chest as if absent-mindedly, but the serious, stern look on her face didn't disappear as she was wondering herself. What she had done hit her hard now that she had the chance to think about it. She knew the answer of course, only could she be honest enough with herself to admit it. "It was because I want to be with you forever," she uttered finally and bravely, tears streaming down her face with how the profound emotion and sense of truth affected her.

Damon hugged her hard. He knew he now had all the time in the world to do so, but he would not want to waste any moment of forever.

The End.


End file.
